Bringing the power of continuous improvement to the project setting

In an earlier post I called kaizen a numbers game. I’ve often been asked to explain that. Some people have the notion that we only want the really good ideas or improvements. The little ones are just not that important. This view is particularly prominent in the project setting. Projects are discrete. Once they end the team often disperses. In the construction setting, people go back to their companies only to be reassigned to another project and a new group of strangers. It’s easy to see how someone can have the view that we don’t have the time for anything but really big improvements.

Make a small change today

So, why do we seem to think that we don’t have the time? In my experience it comes down to being overloaded and overwhelmed. Having too much to do and being in a bad mood about it is often the situation on projects. While there might be many sources for that situation, it doesn’t need to prevail for the whole project. It may only take a commitment to make today better than yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »

Isn’t it amazing that the US government is getting behind green initiatives? I thought that reuse, recyle and reduce were cost effective by themselves. Apparently not. However…Subaru of America’s 20-year history challenges that. Drs. Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder just published an article in the Wall Street Journal, Greener and Cheaper telling Subaru’s head start on the auto industry. Their story is inspiring. But even more, it’s a wake-up call. Why aren’t all businesses doing this?

Subaru America employees are one of the most prolific improvers

You’ve probably seen the Subaru ads on TV. It shows a plant in the middle of an idyllic field with deer going by. I’ve been to that plant. To think that deer are feeding on the property is amazing. This is a typical industrial setting. Except it’s not typical. Subaru is not dumping or land filling anything. How do they do it? In a word…kaizen. Read the rest of this entry »

C an we cost-justify continuous improvement? Can you believe that people ask that question when deciding whether to adopt Quick and Easy Kaizen for their organization? Like not continuously improving is an option! Ralph Keller, President of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) set out to put the question to rest in his article for Industry Week, What’s Continuous Improvement Worth?

Ralph writes about the false savings people identify to justify continuous improvement. For instance, reductions in inventory are misrepresented as dollar-for-dollar savings. Instead, Ralph quotes one of his former bosses, “Revenue growth will cover lots of sins,” to indicate the payoff that is available from our continuous improvement efforts. He argues that driving out waste a little bit at a time and continuously will add up to a significantly enhanced competitive position. He cites a 2003 HBR article where mid-sized companies show 15% – 20% year-over-year revenue growth from their continuous improvement efforts. Read the rest of this entry »

There is no reason to let the lack of measurements get in the way of starting improving activities. I was reading an eWeek essay by Peter Coffee, Counting the Ways, that got me thinking about the 6σ approach to improvement. That approach is basically data-driven. Without measurements there are no improvements. Coffee said,

“Most businesses have no idea what they spend on unproductive hours.”

And we know unproductive hours—waste—exists everywhere. What can you do? Start with the Last Planner System®.

My day is busy. Waaay too busy. Yet I make time to read. I didn’t always read. In fact, before college I didn’t read anything. Once I got out of college I remember saying, “Thank God I don’t have to read anymore.” It was 12 – 15 years later that I took up reading again. It was in spurts. We had started our family—three boys—they were and continue to be a handful. Sometimes I would read a novel. Other times I’d just read a few news magazines. Eventually, I got in the habit of reading at least one book each month. I’m glad I did. I now read much more than that. Read the rest of this entry »

Each year Industry Week (IW) profiles the best manufacturers. The recent years’s lists have been dominated by firms employing lean approaches. Batesville Caskets is one of those firms, A Daily Routine of Continuous Improvement. In addition to their build just what is ordered and their commitment to continuous flow manufacturing, Batesville has become a benchmark company for many different manufacturers based on their commitment to kaizen. Read the rest of this entry »

Replacing just one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) will make a big difference, especially if everyone did that. It would reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the road, or not burning 29,900 railcars of coal.See Fast Company How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change the World? One. And You’re Looking at It The impact on the environment is unbelievable. You can’t make a better economic investment for your home. Replacing one bulb is estimated to save you $66 over the lifetime of the CFL. I replaced three bulbs with CFLs last year.Will Wal-Mart Change the World Selling CFLs? Let’s Wonder… I’ll replace another six this month. I hope you join me.

I‘m not in the habit of writing chapter-by-chapter reviews of books. This series on the book Small Change, by Susan & Larry Terkel is an experiment for me. I’ve been trying out the small change approach in a few areas of my life. I wrote about making a habit of appreciating and acknowledging others. It’s a habit that I want for myself.

Kaizen is Toyota’s winning strategy for competing throughout the world. Small changes everyday by everyone keeps the automaker on its toes while stepping on those of their competitors. Susan and Larry Terkel claim, “Small changes are consistent with human nature and evolution.” Their book Small Change offers a straight-forward approach to adopting small changes and the kaizen way in your life. In this first of six postings that follow the chapters of their book, I’ll highlight the Terkel’s approach. Read the rest of this entry »

Change for the Better

kai - zen

Small change, everyday, results in big change in no time. The practice is distinctly Japanese, but there are many non-Japanese - both individuals and companies - that have embraced "do a little better everyday."

People in the project setting often ask, "Why bother? The project will be over in no time. We will disband going on to something else. Why should we take time out of our already busy (and behind) schedule?"

How would you answer? For me, projects over a distinct opportunity to deal with something new. They are a great sandbox for testing our ideas.

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